The Ancient Runes Professor and Her Snarky Potions Master
by severus's secret
Summary: Sequel to The Ancient Runes Professor: Mara Hartworth and Severus Snape have been together for over five years and seem to be going strong but love is never easy...especially with a certain snarky professor. With old enemies lurking in the shadows, will Mara and Severus and their love survive?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **The harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author note: Lines in italics are in the past.

**Five Years Later...**

The morning sun shown through the enchanted window in our bedroom in the dungeons. It always made me smile because it reminded me of one of the few times Severus compromised when we moved in together two years ago. I reached over to Severus' side of the bed and found it empty. I opened my eyes to look over at his side of the bed and found a single red rose laying on his pillow. It never ceased to amaze me when he did little things like this. Today is the five year anniversary of when we first said we loved each other and I knew this was his way of acknowledging that moment. I reached over and grabbed the rose and brought it up to my nose. It smelled nothing like a rose. It smelled like herbs and the tea Severus always made me after a long day of teaching. I knew of only one thing that could produce this particular combination of scents...Amortentia. It brought me back to a different time...

"_Severus?", I said as I walked into his personal potion lab._

"_Come over here, Mara.", Said Severus as he stood in front of several cauldrons._

"_Is something wrong? You never tell me to meet you in here.", I said as I looked at him nervously. _

"_Don't be dramatic, Mara. It's not like I am giving you a surprise potions quiz."_

_I started to move slowly closer to the cauldrons. I knew there was a reason for this but I found myself hesitating. _

"_Hurry up woman!", Said Severus in frustration. _

_I moved across the room faster and stood next to him. He added one last ingredient to the last cauldron in the row and looked up at me._

"_I want you to learn the smells associated with each of these cauldrons. These cauldrons all contain potions that someone could potentially try to use against you."_

_We walked up to each of the cauldrons and he had me smell each one as he explained what each potion did. There were poisons,mind altering potions, and much more. Finally, we came to the last potion. I leaned over it and smelled herbs and my favorite tea. I looked up in surprise and came face to face with Severus._

"_How?", I said in confusion. _

"_This is Amortentia. A very strong love potion. It smells different to each person."_

"_But...I've smelled Amortentia before and it never smelled like this. It always smelled like old books in my youth.", I said in surprise._

"_It can change over time depending on what we love. What do you smell?"_

_I found myself blushing. I averted my eyes and said, "It smells like the tea you make me and...you. What do you smell, Severus?"_

"_This isn't about me.", he said bluntly and turned away to start cleaning up._

_I knew the conversation was over and I started to walk away in disappointment. I reached the door and was about to turn the handle when I felt myself being turned around and shoved against the door. Severus kissed me passionately and then quickly pulled back and looked into my eyes and said, "Your shampoo and parchment." _

A loud bang startled me out of my memories.

"BLOODY DUNDERHEADS!"

Severus stalked into our room and slammed open his closet. I could see some sort of goo that looked vaguely like a pepper-up potion covering parts of his robes. I slipped out of bed and walked toward him. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"I'm not in the mood, Mara.", he growled.

"In the mood for what, Severus?", I said with a grin. I walked between him and the closet and began removing his outer robes. I felt him relax a little against my hands as I removed the goo covered robes. I reached into the closet and pulled fresh ones out, slipped them on him, and began to button them. I got about half way through his many buttons when he tilted my head up and gently kissed me. When he pulled back, I finished the buttoning and smiled up at him.

"Which dunderhead was it this time?", I asked.

"Does it really matter? They are all dunderheads bent on making my life hell."

"hmmm...I suppose so. Thank you for the rose.", I looked up at him and he seemed to stiffen. He had never gotten use to me thanking him for things and this was a common reaction for him.

"I should get back to the dunderheads.", he said as he turned to leave. I followed him to the door and before he slipped out I heard him say softly, "Your welcome."

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

I could tell Severus was in a bad mood when he came into our rooms that night. The day had started so nice by waking up to find the rose and classes had gone well. My students were so well behaved that I feared my students had been kidnapped and replaced with new ones. When Severus first entered our rooms, he slammed the door and walked over to his favorite chair next to the fire without saying a single word. I have only seen him do this on a few occasion and it was never an indication of a good mood. I got up from my seat and made a cup of tea for him. I walked over and set the tea cup on the little table next to his chair. I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "Severus?" He looked up at me and I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before...defeat.

"Why?", asked Severus softly.

"Why what, Severus?" , I asked nervously.

"Why are you with me, Mara?", Severus said as he looked back down into the flames.

"Where the hell did that question come from, Severus? I love you and that is why I am here!", I huffed out as I came around the table and knelt in front of his chair. I grabbed one of his hands and interlaced my fingers with his as I reached up with my other hand to caress his cheek. He looked at me with uncertainty and I knew someone had put doubt in his mind. "Who said something to you?", I asked gently.

"No one said anything directly to me. I overheard a few of the new dunderhead professors talking about us."

"And what exactly did they say, Severus?"

"They just made it clear that you could do much better and that they will never understand why you would be with someone such as me", said Severus with venom in his voice.

I could kill those dunderheads for putting doubt in Severus' mind. He has always had a hard time accepting that he deserved me and they had just bloody freaking put more doubt in his mind. I would take care of those idiots later. Right now I need to squash this self-doubt that Severus is feeling. I pushed off the floor and sat myself in Severus' lap. He looked at me in surprise. I gave him a wicked grin and leaned down and kissed him with all the passion I had in me. His hands reached up and tangled in my hair as he kissed me back. When we finally broke apart for air, I kissed along his jaw until I reached his ear and whispered, "You are the only man I have ever or will ever want. I'd love to show you just how much I want you." I nipped his ear and I heard him sharply intake a breath.

"Vixen", said Severus as he carried me to our bedroom.

Hours later I laid wrapped up in Severus' arms. I traced the scars on his chest with my fingers and kissed each one.

"I will never understand why you always do that, Mara. They are just ugly old scars." said Severus as he leaned against several pillows.

"I don't think they are ugly and I love every part of you." I said with a grin.

"Crazy woman", said Severus as he looked down at me and smirked.

"I am your crazy woman so you will just have to deal with it.", I chuckled as I bent down to kiss another of his scars.

Severus reached his left hand down and caressed my cheek. I leaned into his touch. When I opened my eyes, I noticed that his dark mark was next to my face. Severus noticed what I was looking at and began to pull away. I quickly grabbed his wrist and brought my lips down onto the mark. I met his eyes with my own and said, "I love all of you." He pulled me down onto his chest and wrapped his arms around me. He held me so tightly as if he feared that if he loosened his grip that I would disappear. I just laid there and let him. I knew that he needed this without him saying a word. Life may not be easy with Severus but it was all worth it for the moments like these. I smiled against his chest as I drifted off to sleep in his arms.

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I sat in my favorite chair next to the fire in the teacher's lounge. A couple of the new professors were talking across the room and I could tell that they had used Muffliato. I find myself having the urge to cast the counter spell and hear what they are saying but before I can the Headmistress comes in and does it for me.

"She isn't married to Snape. She is no better than a common harlot.", Said the new History of Magic Professor Charles Snodgrass to the new Astronomy Professor Richard Maxwell.

The Headmistress cleared her throat and both men quickly looked up and noticed who had entered.

"Headmistress...what can we help you with?", Said Professor Maxwell as he looked nervously around.

"I was wondering if either of you had seen Professor Hartworth.", Said the Headmistress.

Before either man could answer, I stood up from my secluded location and made my presence known. "I am right here, Headmistress.", I said with a smirk on my face. Both men turned sheet white as I walked over. I knew I was channeling a very Severus-like stance and it helped that I towered over them because they were still sitting.

"Ah, there you are, Mara. I was hoping I could speak with you in my office for a few minutes." Said the Headmistress as she tried to smile at me reassuringly.

"Of Course.", I said as I smiled back. I knew something was going on but I refused to give the two gossips in the room any more fuel to spread rumors. The Headmistress walked out the door and I followed slightly behind her. I found myself dreading any news I would get once I reached her office. We reached her office too quickly for my liking and I found myself pacing in front of her desk.

"Would you please sit down, Mara?"

"Is it really necessary for me to? Just tell me, Minerva. If this is about Severus and I, this conversion is unnecessary because I don't give a bloody care what those dunderhead professors think of me!", I said in frustration.

"Mara, I wish this was about them. Please, sit.", begged the Headmistress.

I sat down and began fiddling with a necklace Severus had given me for Christmas. It always made me feel safe when I was feeling scared or nervous. I looked up at the Headmistress and said, "Please, just tell me."

"Your father was spotted in London. He was gone by the time the Aurors got there. I'm sorry, Mara."

All of my old fears engulfed me and I froze in complete terror. It couldn't be. He was suppose to be dead...he should be dead...he couldn't be alive. It was all I could think about as my world went black.

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I awoke to find myself in darkness but I knew exactly where I was. I could smell the scent of herbs on the pillow and knew I was in the bed I shared with Severus. I could hear raised voices coming from the living room.

"What the bloody hell happened, Minerva?", said Severus in anger.

"I told you, Severus. I didn't know you didn't know. I only knew because it was part of her school records. I thought she would have told you about it and it wasn't my place to tell you. I didn't expect her to faint. How exactly did you know Mara was in distress, Severus? You showed up so quickly."

"It doesn't matter how I knew! What matters is that she is currently lying in the next room unconscious because you didn't think of the repercussions of telling her that a man she thought was dead for 20 years is still alive! Obviously, that man did something to her! Mara isn't the fainting type and we both know it! I want to see the school records! I am going to find out exactly what happened and make that bastard pay!", Said Severus as his fury built.

"Severus, please! Listen to reason. You wont be much use to her if you end up in Azkaban. Let the Aurors handle this, please.", begged the Headmistress.

"Get out now, Minerva.", hissed Severus.

"Obviously, you need to time to cool down, Severus. I will stop by later to check on Mara.", Said the Headmistress in exasperation.

"No need. I can take care of her. I will come to your office in the morning to get the records and I expect them to be ready for me to look over."

I heard a door slam and I knew right away that the Headmistress had left. I could hear Severus' footsteps come closer and I shut my eyes. I wasn't ready to face him. I wasn't ready to tell him what he wanted to know. The door creaked open and I felt the bed shift as Severus sat on the edge. I felt arms wrap around me and lift me up against him. I relaxed as he buried his nose into my neck and whispered, "I will protect you...Always."

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	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I lay next to Severus all night unable to fall asleep. I felt guilty for not being able to face him and tell him the truth. I wanted so badly to be able to look him in the eyes and lie. I wanted to tell him that I was okay and that I wasn't worried. That I had just forgotten to eat or some other explanation for fainting. Anything but the truth. I felt Severus stir after several hours and felt his hand caress my cheek.

"I love you, Mara. I'll protect you no matter what."

As he spoke, I resisted the urge to open my eyes and tell him that I loved him too. He didn't say it often and it broke my heart to ignore it. When he finally left, I let the tears that burned my eyes flow freely down my face. He would know most of the truth soon. I buried my face into Severus' pillow and cried myself to sleep.

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When I awoke, our chambers were silent. I crept into the living room and looked around. I found my old school file spread out across the kitchen table and several items in the room broken in a fit of rage. I looked at the incident report that talked about finding me near death in the Forbidden Forest. When I looked up from the report and noticed an empty vile with a Pensive next to it, I knew what it contained but I felt compelled to enter my memory.

"_Please father! I meant no disrespect. I promise. I will do what you ask of me. I will marry him." Said the memory version of me as she tried to dodge the next crucio. _

"_You stupid wench! Do you think he will want you after finding out that you protected that stupid mudblood Hufflepuff that you are so damn fond of? Crucio! I always knew you had a fondness for the weak but it has gone too far this time. No daughter of mine will openly have a friendship with a mudblood! You have a choice, kill the girl yourself or die! Crucio!"_

_I looked up at my father with determination in my eyes, "I will never kill her. I choose death."_

I watched as pain wracked my body over and over again. It wasn't the only memory I had of my father torturing me but it is the last one. It was the night I almost embraced death. I was pulled out of the memory as the memory version of me blacked out. I have no memory of the rest that occurred that night but I do know that when they found me I was covered in phrases such as "mudblood whore" and on the brink of death. It took me two months to fully recover from the damage to my body. By the time I recovered, I was told that my father was killed by Aurors. I thought I was finally free and now I know that was just a false sense of security.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I jumped and noticed for the first time that Severus was sitting on the floor on the other side of the table. His robes were covered in debris from his fit of rage and his hair was in disarray. I looked into his eyes and saw anger. I reacted on irrational instinct and started to run. Before I could get far, I felt firm arms wrap around me. I tried to fight him but I was just too weak. He managed to get me turned around to face him and pulled me tight against his chest. His scent engulfed me and I felt a calm rush over me. I buried my face into his neck and cried.

"I wont let that bastard ever harm you again. I promise you", Said Severus as he wrapped his arms around me even tighter.

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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"I won't let that bastard ever harm you again. I promise you.", Said Severus as he wrapped his arms around me even tighter.

"How can you promise that? You don't know that man like I do. I lived for 16 years under his iron fist. Every time I tried to run away he would always find me. I couldn't escape him then and I wont escape him this time. I appreciate your courageous words but I must face the truth. The odds are not in my favor.", I said as I looked down in defeat.

Severus grabbed me and shook me as he yelled, "Stop thinking like that! I will bloody protect you if I damn well say I'm going to protect you! I protected that foolish Potter brat from the dark lord and I sure as hell can protect you!"

"I want to believe you. I want nothing more than to forget that he is still alive but I must face facts. He will come for me and you can't be with me 24/7. I may be better at defending myself now but my father never fought fairly."

Severus took a deep breath and composed himself before saying, "Mara, Please listen to me. I will find a way to protect you. I refuse to give you up to that madman."

I want to believe him but I just don't know how to right now. I just wanted to forget about it for a little while. I moved closer to Severus and began unbuttoning his robes near his neck. I trailed kisses up his neck to his ear and whispered, "I don't want to think about this right now. I just want to think about your hands all over my body." I emphasized the statement by pressing myself against his firm chest.

Severus smirked and lifted me up in his strong arms to carry me to our bedroom as he said, "This conversation isn't over but I will not deny you."

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After a wonderful afternoon of lovemaking, Severus and I sat in front of the fireplace and ate from a tray that the house elves brought us due to missing dinner in the great hall. I was enjoying the relaxation of laying my head in his lap as he ran his fingers through my hair and I munched on a sandwich when a tapping sound came from the door. Severus tensed and indicated that I should wait on the couch as he got up to answer the door. I watched as he drew his wand and quietly moved to open it. He jerked open the door but found no one on the other side. A small package laid on the ground. Severus ran several spells on the package. When he deemed it safe, he picked it up and brought it to the coffee table. I could feel my fears resurface as I looked at the silver embossed letters of my name on the envelope attached to the plain wrapped package.

"The package seems to be safe but I don't think you should be the one to open it", Said Severus as he sat next to me.

"I should open it. I can't run from my fears forever.", I said with a fake sound of confidence. I picked up the envelope and opened it. I pulled out the piece of folded parchment and read.

_**My Dearest Mara,**_

_**You will be mine soon. I have included a reminder of this in the attached package. See you soon.**_

My hands began to shake as I set down the letter and reached for the package. I slowly removed the brown wrapping paper and opened the box. When I looked inside, A single picture of me passed out and bloody was inside. It was a picture from the night my father had almost killed me. There was no fooling myself any longer. He had found me. 

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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_**My Dearest Mara,**_

_**You will be mine soon.**_

My hands began to shake as I set down the letter and reached for the package. I slowly removed the brown wrapping paper and opened the box. When I looked inside, A single picture of me passed out and bloody was inside. It was a picture from the night my father had almost killed me. There was no fooling myself any longer. He had found me.

"That fucking bastard is going to pay for this!" Said Severus as he ripped the picture from my hand.

I looked up at him and saw the fury in his eyes. He so seldom showed emotion that I was taken aback by his expression. I wanted to be furious with him but I didn't have the strength. I have been defeated again and I don't know how to fight back at the moment. I don't know how to face the fact that I am going to lose the one thing I have fought for over the years...HIM. Severus paced back and forth in front of me and I just watched in silence.

"He can't have you! You are mine!" yelled Severus all of a sudden.

"I'm yours?"

Severus looked down at me and his facial expression softened. He sat down on the couch and pulled me into his lap. His scent surrounded me and I couldn't help the calm that washed over me. I buried my face into his neck and tried to forget the image of my younger self.

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I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I looked up again it was past midnight and I was in my bedroom. Severus was sitting up in bed and reading my school file by candlelight. I wished that that damn file would disappear and stop being a reminder of my unhappy childhood. I knew he was just trying to help and if anyone could save me from my fate it is him. I finally felt some strength coming back to me and I knew in that moment that I had to fight for him. I wanted this life. Screw fate! I grabbed the folder from his hands and threw myself into his arms.

Severus wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on my shoulder while he said, "Does this mean that you have the foolish notion that I will give you up to a madman out of your head?"

I pulled back so that I could look into his eyes and said, "I want you. I want this. I wont give up."

"No matter what happens. No matter where you go. I will find you."

"I bet this isn't what you expected to deal with when we first got together" I said as I looked down in shame.

Severus lifted my chin so that our eyes met and said, "I never expected to ever share my life with anyone."

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Several days had gone by and nothing had happened. I was feeling much more relaxed so I walked up to the astronomy tower to get some air. Severus had forbid me from going outside the castle without him so this was the only way to experience the outdoors. I stared out across the castle grounds and saw no one. It was still early and many students were in class. I had another hour before I would need to be in my classroom. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt a cold sensation go up my back and then my world went black.

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When I awoke, I was in a dark and dank room. My head throbbed and the dust in the room burned my eyes. I tried to move my arms but I found that I was bound by chains. I knew in that moment that he had found me and taken me away. I don't know how he got into the castle but it proved that no place was safe for me. I tried to fight against the chains but it was useless. I looked around the room in hopes that I would something that could help me escape. There was nothing...No sharp objects...No wand...No Severus. The door creaked open and I looked up to face my captor.

"It is so nice of you to join me. I am sure that Snape is missing his whore by now."

The light from the doorway finally lit up my captor's face and I gasped out, " You!"

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	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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"It is so nice of you to join me. I am sure that Snape is missing his whore by now."

The light from the doorway finally lit up my captor's face and I gasped out, " You!"

"Haha...It looks like someone thought dear old dad was going to come back from the dead. I can assure you that he really is dead. I made sure of it all those years ago. I couldn't have him kill you and ruin everything."

"What do you mean? You barely know me? I just met you a few months ago.," I said in confusion.

"Ah yes, well, I needed to reinvent myself years ago so I could get close to you again. Becoming the Astronomy Professor Richard Maxwell was the perfect way to seem harmless to those around you."

I tried to figure out who he really was but I couldn't put a name to the face. I had ignored him so much because I was so focused on my students and Severus. Now I regretted not paying more attention.

I figured that my best chance to get him to tell me who he was was to flatter him so I put on my brightest smile and said, "You must be very intelligent to be able to fool so many into believing your new identity."

Maxwell grinned and said, "It was rather brilliant. I suppose since you will be staying here for the rest of your life I could reveal my true identity. Would you like that, my sweet little whore?"

I cringed at being called a whore but answered him as sweetly as I could, "Yes, please, I would."

"You would know me better as your fiance Magnus. I know it was an arranged marriage but I figured you would have recognized me sooner."

Terror rushed into the core of my being. I had only met Magnus once and it was so that my father could show him how to beat me into submission. I had done my best to block that night out of my mind and here he was again. He was ready to torture me again to get what he wanted. Magnus had loved torturing me and my father had approved the marriage because he knew that Magnus would keep me in my place.

I was torn from my thoughts when Magnus ran his hand up my thigh. I felt myself stiffen and I tried to shift away from his touch. He grabbed my hair and pulled my body against his.

"You will do what I tell you to do you stupid bitch!", Magnus screamed as he pressed his lips against mine. I bit his lip and was rewarded by a hard smack to the face.

"I will never belong to you!", I yelled as I fought against him. This just served to make him more angry and he beat me more and more. As I blacked out, Severus came to my mind one last time.

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	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I was torn from my thoughts when Magnus ran his hand up my thigh. I felt myself stiffen and I tried to shift away from his touch. He grabbed my hair and pulled my body against his.

"You will do what I tell you to do you stupid bitch!", Magnus screamed as he pressed his lips against mine. I bit his lip and was rewarded by a hard smack to the face.

"I will never belong to you!", I yelled as I fought against him. This just served to make him more angry and he beat me more and more. As I blacked out, Severus came to my mind one last time.

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I didn't know how long I was out. My body screamed in pain and I knew my right leg was broken. My only ray of hope was the fact that I was alone again. I prayed that he wouldn't be back soon. I wished that Severus would come for me. All I wanted was to see him one last time. I wanted to see him smirk again and call students dunderheads. I wanted him to look at me again with his beautiful dark eyes. I wanted to feel him wrap his arms around me one more time.

The door opened again and Magnus entered. I braced myself for more pain but nothing came.

"I see that my little whore has woken up. It must be very upsetting to know that Snape has decided that you weren't worth his time and effort."

"He will come for me you sick bastard!"

Magnus chuckled and said, "Really? If he was coming for you, why isn't he here yet? You were nothing more than a plaything to him. You are mine now and you will learn to hold your tongue and obey!"

Magnus grabbed my face but before he could do anymore his eyes went wide and he was ripped backwards. My heart soared when I saw Severus. He was a man of fury at that moment and shoved Magnus against the wall and started to beat him with his bare fists. Minerva and several aurors followed. Magnus went unconscious but Severus just kept beating him. Minerva tried to pull Severus off of Magnus but it was of no use.

"Severus...please", I said weakly.

Severus dropped Magnus and moved swiftly toward me. He lifted me into his arms and I felt the chains release. I buried my face into his robes and inhaled his scent. My exhaustion overtook me again and I surrendered to the darkness of sleep once more. I could finally rest knowing that I was safe...safe in his arms.

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I awoke again to find myself in a bed. I looked around as best I could in my current condition. I was still very sore but I could tell that I had been given medical attention. I found Severus next to the bed in one of our kitchen chairs. He had my hand cradled in his as he stared down at it. I gently squeezed his hand and his eyes shot up to my face.

"I thought I had lost you.", said Severus with a shaky voice.

"I'm right here. I knew you would come for me.", I said as I tried to pull Severus close through our linked hands.

Severus placed his other hand on my face and I leaned into his touch. "I should have been there quicker. I'm so sorry Mara. He never should have been able to get to you."

"Its not your fault. I'm safe now. Please Severus...hold me."

Severus got up from the chair and sat down on the edge of the bed. He hesitated as he said, "What if I accidentally hurt you?"

I tugged on his arm and said, "You won't."

Severus smirked and laid down next to me. He gently placed his arm around me and pressed his lips to my shoulder. "I'm not a gentle man Mara."

"You are with me.", I said as I drifted off to sleep.

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My recovery was slow but every day I felt better than the last. Severus stayed by my side throughout my recovery. Sometimes he read quietly and other times he read to me. We would talk for hours and I loved every minute of it. Today is suppose to be my last day of bed rest. I was ready to be out of bed but Severus insisted on it. I sat and read quietly to myself as Severus paced back and forth around the room. I couldn't figure out what had gotten him so riled up but nothing I said seemed to get through to him on this day. He eventually stopped pacing and stared at me. I set my book down and gave him my full attention. He came and sat on the chair next to the bed.

"Mara, I...", Severus looked down at me and seemed to lose his train of thought.

"You what Severus?"

"I...I'm not an easy man to live with...but I...I want you here."

"Severus, I'm not going anywhere after my recovery. I am still planning on living here with you."

A look of frustration came across Severus' face and he slammed his fist on the nightstand as he mumbled, "That's not what I bloody meant."

I grabbed his hand and asked, "What is it then?"

"Bloody hell Mara, I'm trying to bloody ask you to marry me!", Severus said in exasperation.

I sat there in shock as I processed what he had just said. When I didn't react fast enough, his face went blank and he started to get up from the chair. I quickly threw off the blankets and lunged at him. I kissed him with all the passion I felt and said, "Yes!"

Severus pulled back so he could look me in the eyes and said, "Are you absolutely sure?"

I kept eye contact as I grabbed his arm and unbuttoned the cuff. I slid the material up to reveal his faded dark mark. I pressed my lips against it and said, "I love all of you. I would be honored to be your wife."

The hesitation left his eyes and he leaned down to give me a kiss that made the world melt away.

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	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I awoke to a feeling of contentment. I ran my hand over Severus' bare chest as I watched him sleep. It was rare for Severus to sleep later than me. He looked so peaceful. I didn't want to disturb his rest but I also didn't want to leave his side. I still couldn't believe that he wanted to marry me. I always figured that Severus thought the idea of marriage was ridiculous. For as long as I had known him, he had mocked other people's marriages and relationships. I reached down and ran my hand across his cheek. Severus grabbed my hand and smirked when I gasped in surprise. His eyes opened and for a moment I saw a glimpse of the look that Severus gives me when he thinks I'm not looking.

"You are up early", Said Severus as he pulled me down to give me a kiss.

I chuckled and said, "I wouldn't say its early. It's past noon."

Severus looked at the clock and smirked as he said, "You have become a bad influence woman."

"I have no idea what you mean. I rarely sleep past noon."

"I remember a particular day that you slept through lunch because you had a headache which could have been easily solved if you had asked me for a headache potion."

"Do you really want to bring up that incidence? That also happens to be the time that you lied and said that Minerva asked you to check up on me so you had an excuse to check up on me!", I said as I whacked him with a nearby pillow.

Severus growled and ripped the pillow from my grasp. I found myself chuckling as he tackled me and pinned me to the bed.

"I did no such thing.", grumbled Severus.

"Sure you didn't.", I said with sarcasm and a wicked smile.

"You are such a vixen", whispered Severus into my ear as he nipped at my ear. I felt my heart begin to race as his hand began to move up my thigh. I surrendered to the moment and became lost in Severus' caresses.

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Hours later, I rested my head on Severus' shoulder as he read to me poetry from Lord Byron. His rich voice brought the poem _It is the hour _to life.

It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard;

It is the hour - when lover's vows Seem sweet in every whisper'd word;

And gentle winds and waters near, Make music to the lonely ear.

Each flower the dews have lightly wet,

And in the sky the stars are met,

And on the wave is deeper blue,

And on the leaf a browner hue,

And in the Heaven that clear obscure

So softly dark, and darkly pure,

That follows the decline of day

As twilight melts beneath the moon away.

I loved when he read poetry to me. It had started as a joke. One day he had come home early to find me engrossed in this very poem and had started reading it out loud in a sarcastic tone. But instead of trying to fight him for the book back, I had curled up next to him on the couch and listened to him. He had finally relented and started to read the poems in a serious tone. I knew he wasn't a fan of poetry but he did it for me and that was the true gift of these moments.

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	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I sat on the couch in our rooms and picked up The Daily Prophet. I unrolled the paper and nearly choked on the tea I was drinking. On the front page there was a huge picture of Severus and I eating at the Leaky Cauldron and big bold letters stating _**Snape Gets Cozy with Co-worker. **_I found that I couldn't stop myself from continuing to read the article.

_It has come to the attention of The Daily Prophet that the infamous Severus Snape has decided to make an honest woman of the Ancient Runes Professor Mara Hartworth. Snape has been seen entering a jewelry shop in Diagon Alley and the two have been seen dining alone at such establishments as the picture above. Neither Professor Snape or Hartworth could be reached for comment but The Daily Prophet has on good authority that the two are to be married soon. No official date has been announced for the upcoming nuptials but the Daily Prophet promises to keep its readers updated on any information it gains. We at the Daily Prophet would like to congratulate Professor Hartworth on her ability to snare such a decorated war hero. _

They made me seem like some social climber! Jeepers! I really wanted to find who wrote this article and smack them silly! I needed to calm down and hide the paper before Severus got back. I was about to grab my wand and burn the offending newspaper when Severus threw open the door to our rooms and stomped over to me. He grabbed the paper and threw it on the ground. He then aimed his wand at the paper and incinerated it.

"I am going to kill the dunderhead that wrote that damn article!, yelled Severus as he paced around the room.

"Severus, please, it was bound to come out anyways." I said as I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around him as I rested my head against his chest.

Severus sighed as he wrapped his arms around me and said, "I don't give a crap about the fact that they know of our engagement. I'm pissed that they ruined the surprise."

I looked up at him in confusion and asked, "What surprise did they ruin?"

Severus arced his eyebrow and said, "You really don't know?"

"Should I?"

Severus reached into his robes and pulled out a small box. As Severus opened the box, it finally clicked in my head what he was talking about. The article had mentioned a jewelry store. I had just thought they had made that up. I looked down at the beautiful silver Celtic knot band with a emerald placed tastefully in the center. Severus grabbed my hand and slid the band onto my ring finger. I was so choked up with emotion that I couldn't speak. I did the only thing that my brain seemed to understand in that moment. I reached up and pulled Severus down for a kiss. I couldn't believe that this amazing man had bought me an engagement ring. I wasn't expecting one but he still had.

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	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I stood in front of the full length mirror and the realization of the situation finally dawned on me. In a matter of days, I would be married to Severus Snape. I never thought that I would want to be married and I found myself slightly terrified. Would I really be a good wife for him? Would he grow to hate me? So many questions ran through my head as I looked at myself in my wedding dress. Minerva had insisted on me wearing a white dress. I had never worn such a light color or showed so much skin before. It was still tasteful. I was more afraid of what Severus would say when he saw me in it. It wasn't like I was some virginal bride that should be wearing white on their wedding day. I pulled myself out of my current train of thought and really looked at the dress. It really was a beautiful dress. The cream colored silk flowed down my body and hugged my curves. A shear fabric covered my arms and a dark green sash wrapped around my waist. I was as prepared for my wedding as I was ever going to be.

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I sat on our couch and read from one of Severus' potion books. I loved reading the notes and sarcastic comments placed in the margins of his books. I was startled out of my reading by the slamming of a door. I looked up to see a very angry Severus.

"If Minerva doesn't stop accosting me with ideas for the wedding, we are eloping!" Said Severus as he paced in front of the fireplace.

"What did she want to do this time Severus?"

"She bloody wanted to invite HARRY BLOODY POTTER!"

I began to chuckle and Severus glared at me. A smile spread across his face as his eyes gleamed with mischief. I knew that look. My heart began to race and I tried to run but before I even made it off of the couch he had me pressed against it.

"You think this is so funny but what you don't get is that Minerva is going to make our little intimate wedding into a circus." Said Severus as he began kissing my neck. His hand ran down the other side of neck and across my collar bone. His hands sent tingles up my spine. Suddenly, He was gone. He sat calmly on the other side of the couch and opened his book. The bloody tease. He thought he was so funny. I would show him. I unbuttoned the top buttons of my dress and slipped it off over my head. I walked into our bedroom in nothing but my undergarments. I knew he was watching me because I heard the book fall to the floor. Within seconds, he joined me in our room.

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I stood in the tent that Minerva had set up for me. I wasn't even sure how we had been talked into an outdoor wedding. I could hear people talking and my heart began to race. This was really happening. I pulled back the flap of the tent as I heard _Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral _begin to play. It was always a favorite song and I had insisted on it for my wedding day. I picked up my bouquet of roses from the vase. I knew that Severus had been there because they smelled like my favorite tea and him. I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness. I began to walk up the path. It was such a beautiful day. The sun shown brightly and the sky was a bright blue. I could see rows of white chairs up ahead but none of the people mattered because all of my attention focused on the man standing next to the headmistress. As I got closer, our eyes met and I couldn't help but smile as I looked at the man before me. He wore the darkest green dress robes I had ever seen. I doubt many even noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual black. I knew in that moment that he had done it for me. He grabbed my hand and I wanted to kiss him right then and there. Before I knew it, Minerva was asking us to say our vows.

"I, Severus Snape, promise to love Mara Hartworth for the rest of my days. I promise to protect you and to be faithful to you. For better or for worse, I am yours." Said Severus as he slid a silver band on my ring finger.

"I, Mara Hartworth, promise to love Severus Snape for the rest of my days. I promise to always be faithful to you and to hold you in the highest regard. I am yours. Always and Forever." I said as I placed a silver band on his finger.

As our hands intertwined, a band of white light encircled our hands and our rings began to glow. When the glowing faded, the rune for wholeness was on our wedding bands. We looked up at each other for an answer to why it had happened but by the look we gave each other we knew that neither one of us knew. We both looked up at the headmistress but she only smiled and said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The answer to our question would wait for another day. Severus reached down and tilted my chin up. I closed my eyes as his lips caressed mine.

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